What Do Doctors Say About the Benefits of Pomegranates?

Although pomegranates are promoted to have numerous health benefits, scientific evidence is insufficient to definitively establish these claims as of 2015, according to WebMD. Pomegranates are rich in healthful nutrients and antioxidants, and they may provide cardiovascular and anti-cancer benefits. They may provide certain skin benefits, according to Med-Health.net.

Early studies suggest that the progression of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is slowed by some of the chemicals inherent in pomegranate juice, but it is unknown if drinking pomegranate juice actually promotes this benefit in humans, as reported by WebMD. A study of patients having ischemic coronary heart disease, in which an insufficient flow of blood reaches the heart, showed that those who consumed 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day for three months exhibited a significant reduction in ischemia during stress tests as compared to those who did not consume pomegranate juice. Additional studies from Israel found that pomegranate juice reduces the build-up of arterial plaque associated with low-density lipoproteins, or LDL cholesterol.

Antioxidants such as those in pomegranates help to repair damage to DNA that can result in cancerous cells, according to WebMD. Research from UCLA indicates that pomegranate juice seems to diminish cancer cell growth and reduce the occurrence of death from cancer in laboratory studies. Some doctors recommend the addition of pomegranate juice to the diet to help combat prostate cancer.